MEET OUR FARMERS.
PAUL HUBBELL
Ladies and Gentlemen, Paul Hubbell of Orchard View Farms! This guy is about as friendly and welcoming as they come. Everyone who walks through his doors are so excited to have a chance to talk to him, because when talking to Paul, he speaks with passion, excitement, and motivation that is absolutely contagious.
As we walk the farm, I ask what is his favorite thing is about farming, and with a big smile he says, “Everything is my favorite, I'm doing what I love, farming”. When spending just half a day talking, you understand that “farming” isn’t just “farming” for Paul, it’s much more than that. Farming brings his family together. To him, it’s going to the market and supporting his community, experiencing nostalgia all while watching his farm grow, one apple at a time.
THE CORE FACTS:
Favorite Apple: Scarlet Gala
Apples per Day: 3
Favorite Pie: Hot Cherry pie with a big ol’ scoop of ice cream on top!
Farm: 60-70 Acres 10-15 different varieties
Generational Farmer: 3rd
BOB BUSH
Bob Bush, “Inspiring” - “hard working” - “down to earth” - “kind”
This is what comes to mind when thinking about Bob of “Bush’s Apples”.
His dad started in the apple growing business when Bob was just 12 years old. Him, his mom, and dad moved from town out to an orchard and bought an old farm house and Bob loved it! As he looks over the orchard he says “You know living in town wasn’t for me - I wanted to be there where the action was.”
Bob goes on to say “That was me, I wanted to work. I wanted to be on the farm. I wanted to see what was going on.” It’s clear Bob gets great happiness from being in his orchard and not much can keep him away from it.
19 years ago Bob was diagnosed with MS, but this didn’t stop him from owning and running his farm. His doctor's advice was “basically, use it or lose it, so I took that to heart,” he tells me. “Yes, it’s difficult sometimes and you have bad days but you learn from those too”.
His outlook on his diagnosis is highly uplifting. Bob says he does almost everything he used to, but it just has to be modified - it never stops him from doing what he loves. Bob’s passion for his farm is definitely inspiring and motivates us to do what we love: making the best pies!
THE CORE FACTS:
Favorite Apple: Jonny Gold
Farm: 200+ Acres
Apples per Fay: 3-4
Generational: 2nd
Favorite Apple Topping: Caramel
DEAN & WARD
THE BROTHERS
Imagine it’s the 1870s. You’ve just sailed over from Western Europe to the United States. The opportunities are endless - that was the case for Dean and Wards Johnsons’ great-great-grandparents when they established their apple orchard in Old Mission Peninsula.
This was the oldest farm we had the pleasure of visiting on our apple grower tour, and we were blown away by the rich history and long-list of stories Dean and Ward had to share.
Dean (left) is the eldest of the two. He’s the kind of guy who never lets a good joke go unmissed. Ward (right) also loves an opportunity to laugh, even if he is more straight to the point.
Both brothers grew up in the farming industry and apples are their speciality. They had endless stories of life on the farm such as having to prune trees together on the coldest winter days, spending long days picking fruit off the trees during the summer, and of course those family inside jokes. We’d tell you but you wouldn’t get it ;)
What was obvious between the stories and jokes passed down from this family is that they take pride in what they do and always have. When you first arrive at Johnson Farms, you will be stunned by its beauty and richness as it overlooks the water on Old Mission.
We are proud to work with such dedicated apple growers as Dean and Ward, and can’t wait to see how the farm continues to grow and develop today and for the next generation to come.
THE CORE FACTS:
The Brothers:
Acres: A lot
Generation: 5th
Apple Toppings: Caramel
Dean:
Pie: Apple
Hobbies: Restoring Old Barns
Ward:
Pie: “I Like Them All”
Hobbies: Piloting
CARLA SCHULTZ
Meet Carla Schultz of Eight Plates Farm! For most, Mondays are a source of dread. But for Carla Schultz of Eight Plates Farm, Mondays equal motivation.
Each new week is a fresh start to take on the responsibilities and challenges of the farm - and Carla loves every minute of it. Raised in a farming family, Carla learned first-hand about the work ethic and care that went into day-to-day life on a working farm. Today, Carla continues to pass on the passion for agriculture to her own family.
Everywhere you turn at Eight Plates Farm, you are sure to find something exciting happening: pigs being birthed, wheat being harvested, children learning how to rope cattle, and even dogs riding in golf carts. Who said that hustle-and-bustle was only for the big cities? There is no shortage of passion and hard work that goes into the farm.
Carla and her family pride themselves on growing jupiter and whitetail varieties of wheat - and providing it to local businesses, like Achatz. From their farm to your plate, Eight Plates Farm wheat is one of many locally-sourced, all-natural ingredients in Achatz handmade pies.
Get a taste of Eight Plates Farm for yourself, featured in any of our pies.
